Cinematic Family Truths

By Richard C. Morais

If an undercurrent of family tensions made the holidays a rather tiresome and anxious affair, instead of the the joyous celebration family gatherings can be, may I recommend a bromide for your acid-reflux: the celluloid works of the auteur Alexander Payne.

In a high-stakes, terror-driven industry where formulas and market data usually dictate artistic choices, Payne, 52, stands out for creating films with a distinctively fresh, witty and mature voice—undoubtedly a byproduct of his shrewd decision to quietly ply his trade from his hometown, Omaha, rather than Hollywood.

Payne is perhaps best known for his 2004 hit Sideways, a wine-slurping road trip of two middle-aged men bitterly making their way through the Santa Ynez Valley. The film, budgeted at $16 million, grossed $110 million, and famously starred the odd-couple Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church.

But the underlying theme of the prairie writer-director’s best work is about the grace and clarity that can follow when a family honestly grapples with their barbed-wire issues which, if left unattended, usually tear up a clan’s legacy and wealth.

Nebraska. Credit: New Line Cinema/Everett Collection

Nebraska (2013) is a stylish, black-and-white film still in theaters and a must-see for all families, regardless of wealth, despite the fact the film’s fictional Grants are from hardscrabble Montana.

The senile and perennially drunk Woody Grant, played by Bruce Dern, has got it into his head that he has won $1 million, if he can only get from his home in Billings, Mont., to Lincoln, Neb., to collect his publisher’s sweepstakes “windfall.” His “loser” younger son, played by Will Forte, decides to humor the cantankerous old man and takes him on this bleak and futile road trip. Along the way the son meets long-lost relatives and quirky figures from his father’s past, uncovering the hidden stories and family secrets behind the drunk who is his father.

Despite the bleakness of the plot and the scenery, there are some seriously funny scenes, particularly when Woody’s wife, Kate, rants and raves in what is an Oscar-deserving performance by June Squibb.

The key line, easily overlooked due to its quiet delivery, occurs when Woody Grant reveals why he is obsessed with collecting his illusory $1 million prize: Despite his dementia, he is acutely aware he was a deadbeat father and husband, and this impossible man desperately wants to leave his sons something of value before he dies. This is fine stuff. Furthermore, anyone who has made a financial success of his or her life, only to be swooped on by relatives (see “How to Run the ‘Family Bank’ ”), will cackle in recognition as the Grant relatives descend on Woody when they believe he is a millionaire. This is family satire at its best—but with a rather touching underlying message, if you care to look for it.

The Descendants. Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures/Everett Collection

The Descendants (2011) is the story of a wealthy Hawaiian family—real people, not Hollywood stereotypes—grappling with their legacy. Matt King, played by George Clooney, is a frugal and hard-working attorney who is the sole trustee of a family trust controlling 25,000 acres of virgin Kauai coastland. As he entertains the various development bids for the family land, anxiously looked on by cousins, this remote and estranged man must simultaneously stand by his wife’s comatose body in the hospital, dealing with her inevitable death and his two out-of-control daughters.

Wry humor elevates this film into something special as Matt sorts through the hard stuff of life. One of the best scenes occurs when a cousin, played by Beau Bridges, matter-of-factly tells Matt the family is going to go after him for his bad decision on the land-trust. That’s all right, Matt laconically drawls in response, because a lawsuit will “bring us closer together.”

What an insightful and fitting image of the family. It’s so easy to get sentimental about our families and relatives. Their true blessing—love them, hate them, or somewhere in between—is that they force us to work through the problems of this life.

About Schmidt. Credit: New Line Cinema/Everett Collection

About Schmidt (2002) is the tale of Warren Schmidt, played by Jack Nicholson, who has just retired from his insurance job in Omaha. A lost and bitter man—shorn of his life’s work and irritating wife, who suddenly dies of a blood clot—Schmidt embarks on a lonely road trip to his daughter’s wedding. Schmidt’s relationship with his daughter is both real and very funny, and, in this case, the film is about an individual trying to find his purpose on earth while living with the detritus of family life.

Great art, while ostensibly dealing with “depressing” material, is curiously life-affirming and rejuvenating. The films of Alexander Payne are just that. If you haven’t seen these films already, I urge you to make it a resolution to do so. You won’t regret it.

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JANUARY 5, 2014 5:26 P.M.

Dr. Todd A. Finkle wrote:

I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska a few miles away from Alexander Payne, who is also around my age (FYI Payne grew up two blocks away from Warren Buffett). We are lucky to have someone who is as creative and innovative as Payne making movies. He takes a different perspective to life. Rather than the typical Hollywood sex, drugs, rock & roll, murder, violence, guns, shoot em up every two minutes, Payne gives you true life characters from all walks of life. He shows you the delicate deficiencies within us and the challenges we face in day-to-day life in a humorous way. Payne has won two academy awards. His movies never disappoint. He is also an excellent writer. The only critique I have is that I wish he made more movies. But then again, this is not his style...he takes his time to put out a quality well-crafted movie.

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Written with Barron’s wit and often contrarian perspective, Penta provides the affluent with advice on how to navigate the world of wealth management, how to make savvy acquisitions ranging from vintage watches to second homes, and how to smartly manage family dynamics.

Richard C. Morais, Penta’s editor, was Forbes magazine’s longest serving foreign correspondent, has won multiple Business Journalist Of The Year Awards, and is the author of two novels: The Hundred-Foot Journey and Buddhaland, Brooklyn. Robert Milburn is Penta’s reporter, both online and for the quarterly magazine. He reviews everything from family office regulations to obscure jazz recordings.